Calm Vacation
by scorpclaw
Summary: Contains Jet x Espio yaoi. Team Chaotix and Team Sonic are out on vacation. While on vacation, they realize that the town they're in hosts an annual race with several racers, including the famous Team Babylon. While Team Sonic and Team Babylon clash on their racing skills, a member develops a crush on a certain purple chameleon.
1. Chapter 1

Calm Vacation

Chapter 1

Placida Town was one of the most calming towns to ever visit. There aren't very many residents in such a small town, but the ones that actually did live there were old and incredibly welcoming. It was a perfect spot for relaxing in a calm environment in order to avoid high-paced, stressful things back home.

Espio, along with Vector and Charmy, was being led by Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles to Placida Town in order to start a vacation of their own.

"I'd like to thank you three for bringing us along with you on your vacation," Espio kindly said.

Sonic kept walking and replied, "Don't worry about it, Espio. We've been through a lot with Eggman and all, so it would be great to get some peace and quiet for once. Besides, it was your idea in the first place to go here."

Vector shook his head. "I'm surprised you're actually saying that, Sonic. I know you like relaxing, but I thought you did that by running and cracking jokes with others. Here… it's just… too calm."

Sonic turned around to face Vector and began walking backwards, hoping he would not run into a tree. Placida Town was surrounded by a light forest with a few trees and shrubs scattered everywhere. "I could do those things here, Vector. Maybe not as much, but I think I'll like the quiet better anyways." Sonic quickly turned around, avoiding a bush he nearly tripped over."

Tails smiled and said, "Yeah, Vector. Besides, it's not that bad. There are a few attractions that you might enjoy. I actually plan on doing some fishing if you want to join."

Sonic turned to Tails. "You know how to fish?"

Tails nodded. "Yeah. Well… kind of. I learned from books, but I have never actually done it."

"Don't worry, Tails," Espio finally said. "My father taught me how to fish when I was young. I will accompany you and we can fish together."

Tails smiled. "Thanks, Espio. I'll look forward to it."

Vector looked up to Charmy and asked, "What about you, Charmy? You haven't said anything on this whole trip so far."

Charmy simply crossed his arm. "You guys forced me to go on this vacation with you. Now, I have to live out in the woods with nothing to do, and most importantly, no video games to play."

The entire chuckled, enjoying Charmy's immaturity.

At the end of their trip, Espio led the group to where they would be staying for the weekend. "I did a little bit of research on the area, and I heard that this hotel gives good services while giving a good view of the entire town on the top floor."

Vector frowned. "Espio, that sounds great and all, but it must be really expensive."

Espio shook his head. "No. Unlike the people back in Station Square, everyone here doesn't have the tendency to be greedy with their prices. I'm sure you'll find everything to be reasonable, Vector."

Vector sighed. "Fine, I'll take your word for it."

Espio nodded his head and finally found the hotel that they were looking for. It was tall, 7 stories, and while it had a modern look to it, it was given a robust tone to fit the surrounding area. "This is Serenate Hotel. We'll be staying on the sixth floor."

Sonic smiled. "I have to say, Espio," he said as he entered the warm lobby, "you really outdid yourself with the hotel choice. This is definitely something I can easily get comfortable with."

Espio nodded, giving Sonic a very slight smile. "Thank you, Sonic. Why don't you all get comfortable in the lobby and I'll get our room keys." The group nodded, moving over to some couches that were surrounding a warm fireplace.

Espio then went to the lobby counter, got 6 room keys and returned to the group. He sat down next to the fireplace and began rubbing his hands together in front of the fire. "This is going to be a wonderful weekend. I can already tell."

"I think so, too," Tails agreed. He looked around the room and noticed that somebody was missing. "Hey, where did Sonic go?"

Knuckles looked around and spotted him. "He's over there by the brochures."

Espio nodded. "He's probably just looking at what events are going on here. While it is peaceful, there are a lot of activities that happen in Placida Town."

Almost in response to Espio's statement, Sonic finally returned with a brochure in his hand. "You guys will not believe what I just found!" Sonic exclaimed excitedly.

The group tried to see what Sonic had in his hand. "What is it?" Tails asked.

Sonic showed them the brochure. "Apparently there is an annual racer's showcase in the Placida Colossus tomorrow. We should totally go!"

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Sonic, not everyone appreciates as much as you do." He shifted in his chair. "At least, not anymore."

Vector shook his head. "I think it sounds pretty interesting. It'll at least give us something to do." He looked at Knuckles. "And everyone who doesn't want to go can just stay at the hotel."

"Eh, I guess that's true."

"Yeah, but Knuckles, let me try to change your mind," Sonic said with a cocky attitude. He opened up the brochure to the first page, showing off three people that were familiar to everyone there. "Team Babylon is the main event that everyone looks forward to every year." Sonic paused for effect. "That's right. Our pals Jet, Wave, and Storm are in town!"

"Let me look at that," Knuckles said, going for the brochure. He looked it over briefly, looking at the picture of the three Babylonians. "I can't believe it. I haven't seen these three in at least a year." Knuckles put the brochure down at his side. "I guess it won't be such a bad idea to watch them race… and then show them how Team Sonic does it."

Tails chuckled. "Too bad I didn't bring our Extreme Gear."

Espio crossed his arms, shaking his head. "I don't see how Team Babylon could be special. They are good racers, I admit, but they are poor sports. They don't understand proper sportsmanship when it comes to losing, especially Jet."

Sonic finally sat down on a couch across from Espio. "Eh, that may be true. But, in a sense, Team Babylon are friends of ours."

"Competitive friends," Knuckles corrected. "We are only friends through competition."

Espio nodded. "I see. Well… if you three want to go to Placida Colossus tomorrow, then I don't see why I shouldn't go myself." Espio looked at the rest of his team. "What about you two?"

Vector nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good. This place could some action."

Charmy shook his head and crossed his arm. "Eh, I think I'll just stay here."

Espio looked up to Charmy. "Are you sure, Charmy? We may be gone for a while and there isn't much to do in your room."

He shook his head again. "No."

Espio rolled his eyes. "Alright, but you have time between now and then to change your minds." He faced the rest of the group. "The rooms should be ready right now. Would you like to see them?"

Sonic shrugged. "Sure."

Espio nodded and handed everyone their room keys. He led them into the elevator and he pressed the '4' button and it flashed. They went to the fourth floor, the top floor, and they exited the elevator, heading into the adjacent hallway.

"Vector, Charmy, and I are in room 416 and you three are in the adjacent room: 417."

Everybody nodded as they headed down the hall to their rooms. Espio stopped at room 416 and pulled out his key card, getting ready to put it in the key slot.

"We've had a long day," Sonic said. "Let's get a bit of sleep and we'll figure out what we're tomorrow at breakfast. They serve breakfast, right Espio?"

Espio nodded. "Correct?"

"Alright. Good night, everybody." Everybody said goodnight and they all went into their respective rooms and went to bed for the night.

Author's Note:

A bit shorter than my normal chapters, but I got what I needed to cover in this first chapter. Now, this is going to be a Jetpio (Jet X Espio) fan fiction as described in the description, so the couple may seem a bit obscure to some people. However, it was a request from Shattered Spirits and I can't be happier to write it. :)

- Scorpclaw


	2. Chapter 2

Calm Vacation

Chapter 2

Espio woke up early the next morning like he always did. He stretched his arms and slid out of bed, making sure not to disturb the sleeping bee next to him. He took his keycard and headed outside of the hotel. He took in the surroundings of Placida Town, appreciating the cool, clean air that accompanied the beautiful scenery.

He explored for a little bit and found a nice meadow area amidst a bunch of trees. He sat down and went into his meditative state. Espio was known for doing a good hour of meditating before he started his days. He would tell Vector that it would cleanse his mind and prepare him for new information. Everybody else thought it was silly.

While he was in that state, his senses were enhanced. He was able to hear a tiny creak in a nearby bush. At first, Espio thought it was one of the woodland creatures, but when the shuffling in the bushes got louder and more consistent, he became more unsettled. He immediately opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the noises.

All he saw were the bushes. Everything was silent again. Just to make sure, Espio scanned the area and said, "There is no need to spy on me. Show yourself." He continued to scan until he felt that the noises were just a figment of his imagination and that he was just being paranoid. "This is exactly why I meditate," Espio whispered to himself. He returned to his meditative state.

Though, something that Espio missed was a weasel that was hiding behind one of the trees. Nack the Weasel, a former member of the Chaotix before he betrayed them, despised Espio the most out of the whole team. Unlike Vector and Charmy, Espio was actually smart; he could easily foil any of his evil plans to gtake over the world.

Though, now that he had his shields by being on vacation, Espio seemed like the perfect target. Nack the Weasel scurried off silently to his boss: Metal Sonic.

An hour later, Espio returned to the hotel so that he could indulge in some of the free breakfast. He entered the dining area and filled his plate with a blueberry muffin, toast, and yogurt. He then grabbed a glass of orange juice before sitting down to eat.

He ate for a few moments before he saw Sonic and Tails walk in. After grabbing their own food, they sat down across from Espio and began eating as well.

"This place is seriously lacking in chili dogs," Sonic complained, taking a bite out of his toast.

Espio chuckled. "Perhaps that's a good thing. You're going to make yourself sick if you keep eating them as much as you do."

Tails shook his head before swallowing his yogurt. "You don't have any idea, Espio. You don't live with him and see how much he eats."

Espio nodded. "Further proving my point."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Well, you two aren't fun. You just haven't experienced the taste of them like I have."

Espio ignored Sonic. "When are we going to the Placida Colossus?"

Sonic swallowed a piece of toast. "Probably in an hour or two. The race starts pretty early, then there's an after-party where we can talk to the racers."

Espio let out a light groan. "I'm not a big of fan of parties, but I'm assuming that both of you would like to go."

"Don't worry about it, Espio," Tails said with a smile. "It's a smaller event since this is a smaller town, so there won't be too many people. Besides, we want to talk to Team Babylon since it's been such a long time since we've seen them."

"You make it sound as if you are all best friends."

Sonic shook his head. "It's not like that, but we have been through a lot."

"I see," Espio said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Well, I guess it can't be that bad, then. It would be a pleasure to actually meet the famous Team Babylon in person rather than hearing stories from you guys."

"Exactly," Sonic said with a smile.

Espio nodded as he stood up with his empty plate of food. "Alright, then you two should wake Knuckles soon. I'll wake up Charmy and Vector. We'll meet in the lobby at…" Espio looked up at the clock, "10:00."

Sonic and Tails nodded. Espio headed out of the dining area and headed upstairs to wake Charmy and Vector up. This was no easy task.

A couple hours later, both teams went down to the lobby.

"Are we ready to go?" Espio asked.

Vector let out a heavy yawn and stretched his arms. "Yeah, sure Espio."

"Good." On his way out, Espio turned to Vector and said, "And we'll make sure to get you some caffeine so you can actually stay awake through the races."

Vector chuckled as they continued to head for the exit. But, they were quickly stopped by the woman behind the lobby counter. "Excuse me. Are you all going to the Placida Colossus to watch the races?"

Espio turned around and nodded. "Yes."

"If you exit the door and turn a right, you'll find buses that will take you straight to the Colossus. Otherwise, it's a two-mile walk."

Vector nodded out of his exhaustion. "Seriously? That sounds great! Come on, guys. Let's go catch that bus before it leaves without us."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Espio, ignoring Vector's rude interjection, said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the woman said as the group walked out of the hotel and headed for the buses.

They weren't too difficult to find, and they were free. Espio took a seat next to Vector and Charmy sat next to Espio.

Charmy yawned. "How did I end up going to the race with you guys? I didn't even want to go in the first place."

Espio brought Charmy in closer on the seat so that he wouldn't fall off. "You would be more bored in that hotel room by yourself. Besides, Sonic tells me that Team Babylon is worth meeting."

Charmy sighed. "Alright. I guess the races can be a bit exciting." He closed his eyes, dozing off.

Vector shuffled in his seat a lot, which was upsetting Espio. "Vector, can you stay still?"

"I'm sorry, Espio. These seats are so flat and uncomfortable." He shuffled around for a few more moments until he found a position that he considered viable. He settled down and took the time to look around the bus. He looked behind him and stared at somebody for a few seconds until his eyes went back to Espio.

"Hey, Espio. There's somebody that looks really familiar at the back at the bus. Can you look back there?"

"Vector, it's rude to stare at people. Is it really that important?"

Vector shook his head. "No, I guess not. I was just a bit curious. I was just wondering if it was a past client or something. Maybe I could've said hello or something."

Espio nodded. "Maybe you can talk to him when we get to the Colossus."

Vector nodded as well. "Alright, I think I will." Vector took one last look to confirm that the person looked familiar and immediately noticed that he was gone. "That's… weird." Vector said under his breath before turning back to the front of the bus.

_Nack the Weasel, who was now hidden under one of the seats, was sent to spy on Team Chaotix as they made their way to the Colossus. He managed to hide himself behind a black cloak, but he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself while he waited for instructions from Metal Sonic._

The bus arrived at the Colossus five minutes later. Team Chaotix and Team Sonic stepped off and waited at the entrance.

"The race is probably going to start soon, so we should find some good seats," Sonic said.

"Alright," Espio replied. "You probably know more about this place than I do since you have the brochure, so why don't you lead the way?"

Sonic nodded and led the way to the stands, trying to get as close to the front as possible. They managed to get great seats, especially considering that they came on-time rather than being early.

They waited for a few minutes until an announcer came onto the track with a big microphone in his hand.

"I hope you are all ready to see a great race today! We have three amazing teams racing around the Colossus this afternoon. They are… Team Valor, led by Vis the Hedgehog!" As soon as he said that, a grey hedgehog stepped onto the track, followed by a smaller black hedgehog and a white echidna.

"Our very own Team Placida, led by Sapphire the Fox!" A team of foxes stepped out onto the track, waving generously to the crowd with big smiles on their faces.

"And last but not the least, the team that you all came here to see! Team Babylon, led by the well-known Jet the Hawk!"

The entire crowd roared into cheers, but there was no louder section than Sonic's. The three of them were cheering loudly for their ex-competitors. Espio rolled his eyes and stopped himself from covering his ears from the sudden increase in volume. He watched as Jet, Wave, and Storm walked out onto the track. They weren't nearly as enthusiastic as the other two teams, but they had something that the other teams didn't. Confidence and determination.

The nine competitors formed a straight horizontal line on the track and waited for the announcer's instructions.

"We must have a clean race, ladies and gentleman. The rules are simple: no cheating and the first team to have all three of their members complete the track five times wins. That should be simple enough for you all to follow."

The racers didn't give much of a response. They were focusing too much on preparing themselves and their Gears.

"Alright, let's get this show on the row. Go on the gun shot."

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

BANG! The gun shot went off and the race began.

Five laps later, Team Babylon won the race. Although it was a clear win, Team Babylon was having some issues with Team Valor in the third lap, but they still managed to get ahead in the end. All teams shook hands and the awards ceremony started. Team Babylon was given a trophy and gold medals while Teams Valor and Placida were given silver and bronze, respectively.

With that, Team Sonic and Team Chaotix began to exit the stands with the rest of the crowd.

"Are we going to the after-party, Sonic?" Espio asked.

"Yeah!"

"Alright, just making sure. Do you know where it is?"

"It's around the corner from the Colossus. There should be a large facility where they'll be serving food and things like that." Sonic paused, thinking about Espio's thoughts of the party. "Is that still alright with you? We can help find you a bus back to the hotel."

Espio nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. Besides, I sense that I might have misjudged Team Babylon. I believed that they were cocky and thought that they were better than everyone else. In reality, I saw confidence and determination."

Tails smiled. "There you go, Espio. They're really not all that bad anymore. Besides, I don't think they're in it for the rewards as much. They just like to fly."

"I see. I can understand that. They are pursuing their passion."

They went to the facility that Sonic had described. It was a large box-like room that resembled a school gym. There were already several people there, but they were one of the last ones to arrive, so there weren't much more people coming in. They all looked around for the three teams. They found two members of Team Valor and Sapphire the Fox from Team Placida. After doing a bit more scanning, Sonic finally pointed out into the crowd and said, "Hey, I found Jet."

Espio looked at where he was pointing and noticed that Jet was talking to a few people. Though, he couldn't help but notice that Jet was a little nervous when he was talking to complete strangers. It made Espio curious.

"Let's go talk to him," Tails said. Everyone nodded and headed Jet's way.

Sonic led the group and was the first one to get Jet. "Hey, Jet. It's been awhile."

Jet turned away from his fans, looking relieved to see a friendly face. He broadened his posture and said, "Well, well… if it isn't Sonic. I never thought I would see you in a place like this when you're not racing. Shouldn't you be out running or something?"

Sonic chuckled, shaking his head. "Sometimes I just need to take a break from all that stuff. You can only beat Eggman so many times before you realize that you're tired of it."

Jet nodded. "Yeah, I understand."

The rest of the group made their way to the front. Jet acknowledged Knuckles and Tails with a head nod, but gave a curious look to Espio, Charmy, and Vector. "Sonic, who are your friends behind you?"

Sonic turned back to see who he was referring to. "Oh, they're Team Chaotix, good friends of ours." Sonic pointed to each of them as he told Jet their names. "We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Espio's suggestion to go to Placida Town."

Jet nodded. "Okay, good to know." Jet looked past them to the back wall. "The people running this place wanted me to remind you that there's food up against the wall. I've tasted better things, but it's free."

Sonic smiled. "Awesome. I guess we'll go grab some food and we'll meet up with you, Wave, and Storm later."

"You guys go ahead," Espio said. "I'm not that hungry."

"Suit yourself," Sonic said before leading everyone to the buffet area.

Espio turned away from the group and noticed that Jet was still looking his way, rather than returning to his conversation with the rest of the crowd. "So… Espio. What does Team… Chaotix do?"

"We're a detective agency."

"Oh, and I'm assuming Vector is your leader?"

"Yes, he's the one who brought us all together. Though, he can sometimes be a bit incompetent to be the leader of our group. He has made some poor decisions in the past."

Jet chuckled. "You talk pretty formally, Espio. You should relax. It's a party."

Espio shook his head. "I… don't appreciate parties. My people have taught me to live a relaxed lifestyle and I am not comfortable around large groups."

"Really? I am, too." Jet paused for a moment, then quickly explained. "I like racing and being number one and things like that, but talking with other people is… a little hard for me."

"Hm… I see. I didn't expect that from you. You seemed so confident on the race track."

"Yeah, it's different when I'm focusing on the race rather than on the audience." Jet rubbed the feathers on the back of his head, brushing them out of his face. "By the way, what did you mean by 'your people'? Are you part of a group?"

"I was raised by a group of Shinobi ninjas. Although I have not interacted with them for many years, I still maintain their ideals."

Jet smiled. "So you're a ninja?"

"Yes."

"That's pretty cool, I guess. Many of my flying skills were passed down from my ancestors: the Babylonians. They're a group of racers as well."

Espio nodded, starting to understand some of the similarities between Jet and himself. "I see. I believe I know a little bit about the Babylonians. Very competitive, but very passionate about what they did." Espio paused, thinking for a moment. "Sonic also mentioned the tragedy with Babylon Garden last year. That must've been rough." Espio tried his best to seem sympathetic.

"Yeah, that was my homeland, and it was disappointing to see it go. But, Storm, Wave, and I learned to let those things go."

"As have I."

Jet smiled. He thought for a moment before saying, "By the way-" Jet was interrupted when the group returned with full plates. Sonic was of course already chowing down on a chili dog while the rest were eating their own meals. "I guess I can tell all of you. There's an open mic night at one of Wave's favorite restaurants in Placida Town." Jet specifically brought his attention on Espio. "Do you guys want to come?"

Sonic a huge piece of a chili dog. "That sounds awesome, Jet." Sonic looked to the rest of the team. "What do you guys think?"

Vector, Charmy, Knuckles, and Tails gave scattered yeses. Espio remained silent for a moment.

Jet gave Espio a curious look, almost let down by Espio's lack of response. "What about you?"

Espio thought about it for a second, again thinking about his feelings about large groups. Though, he didn't want to go back to the hotel room alone, especially with Vector being in charge of Charmy in an unknown restaurant. Espio nodded. "I don't see why not. Besides, it'll give me the chance to get to know you, Wave, and Storm a little better."

Jet smiled. "Sweet."


	3. Chapter 3

Calm Vacation

Chapter 3

The group continued to get comfortable at the party. They started a few chats with some of the fellow racers and also got acquainted with Wave and Storm.

"So…" Sonic started. "Jet invited us to go to your favorite restaurant to listen to an open mic night."

Wave nodded. "Yeah. It's one of my favorite restaurants and it so happens to have a location in Placida Town. They occasionally have an open mic night for anybody who wants to perform, and I just like to listen to the music. There's the occasional bad singer, but I tend to ignore things like that. The rest is pretty good."

Sonic smiled. "Okay. Just come get us when you're ready to go."

"Actually, we can go right now. I'm done with this party. They make us do it every year, and sure, it's nice to see a few fans, but it gets old really quickly."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Alright, I'll get the rest of the group and we'll go."

Wave nodded. "Okay."

All nine of them met at the entrance and they exited the facility, heading back to Placida Town on foot rather than taking the bus back.

Jet walked up to Espio as he walked in silence. "I think my parents actually told me stories about the Shinobi ninjas when I was young. Did you live in solitude like they did?"

Espio nodded, though he kept a consistent walk going. "Yes, I did. As I said before, I was separated from society to learn the ways of the Shinobi ninjas. Then several years later, when I came of age to make my own decisions, I decided to leave my parents and my culture behind to join Knuckles and his Team Chaotix."

Jet looked back to Knuckles, somewhat interested in the fact that he and Espio were actually in the same team together at one point. "That must've been rough. I was removed from my culture by force. I don't even know if my parents are still alive. They could be dead somewhere out in space."

Espio nodded, listening to every word Jet had to say. Despite the slightly somber mood of the conversation, Espio turned to Jet and asked, "Why are you even talking to me?"

"W-what?!" Jet exclaimed, shocked by Espio's bluntness. "What kind of question is that?"

"A simple one, actually," Espio said, a slight frown on his face. "I tend to be honest, so I ask this question to figure out what your purpose is for talking to me, even though we have many differences between us personality-wise."

Jet remained slightly shocked, unsure of what to say in this situation. "I, uh… I'm talking to you because I want to talk to you… I guess. Sure, I'm known for being cocky hawk who only likes the cheers of his fans and winning and you're known for being quiet and that stuff, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends or something."

Espio looked back at Jet, almost shocked with such a simple response. Espio knew that he had plenty of friends, but he always considered them to be acquaintances and coworkers more than friends. Jet managed to change the meaning behind the word a bit. "You… want to be friends with me?" Espio asked, silently enough so that only Jet could hear him.

Jet leaned in to hear what Espio said and nodded. "Yeah, sure. I mean, we managed to find similarities in the way we interacted with out cultures. We can find other things, too."

Espio nodded, a slight smile arising in his face. "Yes, I guess that's true." Espio turned to face Jet again. "I think I'd like that. I… must have misjudged you, Jet. I believed that you would be rude and inconsiderate of the people around you, but you turned out to be someone who is truly worth talking to."

Jet chuckled, hiding a slight blush. "Thanks. I used to be like that, but after racing for a long time and being put in my place by Sonic and Wave a bunch of times, I just learned to leave that stuff behind."

"Yes. If the Shinobi ninjas taught me anything, it was the fact that discovering your mature self is the most important development in your life. I definitely felt a change when I discovered my mature self."

Jet smirked. "Was there ever an immature Espio?"

"Of course. Everyone begins their life as an immature child, regardless of how they are raised. Not many people know this of me, but I used to bother my parents greatly with my aspirations to become a detective. They knocked it out of me for some time so that they could teach me their ways. I guess they couldn't keep it away for too long, because I'm not even an adult yet and I became a detective like I said I would."

"I couldn't imagine my life if I didn't become a flyer like my ancestors expected me to be. Do you regret becoming a detective?"

Espio shook his head. "I do miss my family, but I do appreciate finding my place in this world with Team Chaotix. Though, now I love Vector and Charmy as if they're my new family, even if I may not show it." Espio thought morbidly for a moment. "It even took a toll on me when people left. Knuckles, Mighty, Ray, Julie-Su, Nac-… never mind."

Jet gave Espio a puzzled look. "No, what were you going to say?"

Espio sighed. "We used to have somebody on our team named Nack. He was a weasel and he stuck with us for a short time until he betrayed us to join Metal Sonic's team."

"That's terrible. If someone were to betray anybody on my team, I would've ripped them to pieces without remorse. I care too much for them."

"That's not the way that I would take things, no matter how much damage Nack and Metal Sonic's team has done to us in the past." Espio crossed his arms. "Besides, we haven't seen him for a while, so he's not worth my thoughts anymore."

Jet nodded. "That's a good way to put it."

The surprising turn of topic put both Jet and Espio in an awkward position and the conversation was ended immediately. Thankfully, it didn't take much longer for them to arrive at 'The Talented Corner,' a restaurant with simple Mobian dishes that hosted Open Mic Nights bi-weekly, just as Wave had described.

Upon arrival, they were immediately seated at a table closer to the center of the restaurant where they could get a good view of the stage. There was already a purple squirrel playing a guitar and singing onstage. He was playing a ballade-like song, causing a couple to stand up and start dancing to it.

Espio stared at the dancing couple and said to Jet, "My mother used to dance with me like that a lot. It took me a good year to finally accept it since I didn't like to dance when I was younger."

Jet nodded, not paying much attention to the music. "Yeah, this kind of music would put me to sleep," he said offhandedly, not noticing how insensitive it sounded.

Espio frowned. "I wouldn't say it would put me to sleep." Espio opened up his menu and asked, "What are you going to get?"

Jet pushed his menu to the side. "I always get the chili dog here. It always has the perfect amount of chili on it, and it's cooked to perfection."

Espio looked to Jet and chuckled. "I think I just lost a little bit of respect for you. You eat those dreaded things just like Sonic does."

"Ah, come on Espio! Don't start bashing the chili dogs until you actually try it. You don't know what you're missing."

Espio rolled his eyes, but retained his smile. "Okay. I'll get a chili dog. I'm open to new things."

Jet nodded, returning Espio's smile. "Good choice."

The waiter came by to get their food and drink orders and went away to inform the waiters. Everybody continued to talk as the purple guitarist finished his song and was replaced by the next performers.

An announcer came onto the stage and said, "Please welcome to the stage, Mina the Mongoose and Jun." The audience clapped as a yellow mongoose with purple hair and a white wolf with blue streaks entered the stage.

Mina grabbed the microphone. "Hello. I'm Mina, but I also go by Songoose. We're going to play something slow and romantic for you all today. We encourage you to come to the floor and join this couple in hopefully a sensual dance."

Mina was true to her world when her music was even calmer and more dance-like than the one preceding it. It really spoke to Espio as he listened to it and truly remembered the dances with his mother. It was true, he did reject the idea of dancing as a fun activity at first, but even he admitted to himself on some occasions that he did begin to enjoy it as he got older. It was one of Espio's more fond memories.

He leaned in closer to Jet, but then retreated shyly for a moment. After a few moments of personal motivation, Espio leaned in closer to Jet's ear and asked, "Hey… would you like to… dance with me?"

Jet looked at Espio, trying hard to not look shocked by the suddenness of the question. "Uh… do you really want to dance with me?"

Espio retreated shyly again. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but I'm not as close with anybody else and I'd rather dance with you."

Jet gave Espio a puzzled look. "Really? You only just met me today! How are you closer with me?"

"I just do," Espio said, looking down to the table.

Jet paused for a moment and thought about it, but eventually sighed and said, "Alright."

Espio looked back up to Jet. "What?"

"Alright. I don't normally dance, especially with everyone who's going to be watching us." Jet looked at the rest of their group as they chat amongst themselves. "But I think I can do one dance with you."

Espio smiled, a slight blush creeping up in his cheek. "Okay."

Before anybody could say anything, Espio and Jet walked to the dance floor. As the music continued in its dance-like form, it gave Espio and Jet a beat to dance to. Espio slowly put his right hand on Jet's shoulder and his left hand in Jet's hand. Just as he did it with his mother, Espio began swinging his hips and moving his feet to the beat of the music. Jet awkwardly followed.

Espio noticed the lack of flow in the dance and looked up to Jet. "Do you feel weird?" Espio asked honestly.

Jet paused for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, a little." Jet looked towards their group, immediately looking back when his gaze met Sonic's. They saw them dancing. "I'm just not used to dancing at all, especially in front of people."

"It's alright. Every guy is going to feel embarrassed about dancing for the first time in front of people. It was something that I had to get used to, also." Espio continued to keep Jet in the rhythm. "But I think it's worth it. It's an expression of creativity, peace, and lo-… never mind."

Jet chuckled. "You need to learn how to finish your sentences, Espio."

Espio shook his head. "No, no, no. If I finish my sentence, you probably won't want to talk to me afterwards."

"Geez, Espio. How shallow do you think I am?"

"Not very, but it's pretty serious."

Jet rolled his eyes. "I've been through a lot in my life. I think I can take a bit of serious stuff."

Espio sighed. "Fine. What I meant to say was that dance is an expression of creativity, peace… and love."

Jet didn't expect to hear that last word, but didn't take its deeper meaning. "I know that. I know a lot of couples who dance for love and stuff like that."

Espio looked down. "Yeah… except, now I'm feeling that this dance is not an expression of creativity or peace."

Jet paused to think about what that meant, but then a light bulb turned on his brain. "Do you… like me, Espio?"

Espio kept his head low, trying to figure out the words to say. He raised his head a bit and was about to say how he feels when… the music stopped and he heard something.

He heard a scream.

A loud scream.

Espio looked away from the Jet towards the screamer. It was Mina the Mongoose as she took a few steps back. Her boyfriend and co-singer, Jun, was now being held in the hands of Metal Sonic, accompanied by Nack the Weasel at his side.

Nack looked the crowd and yelled, "We heard that Team Chaotix, Sonic, and Babylon are all here in the same spot. We're going to take this opportunity and get rid of all of them at once."


	4. Chapter 4

Calm Vacation

Chapter 4

Sonic was the first to burst out of his chair and attempted to take out Nack and Metal Sonic before they could do any damage. However, Metal Sonic immediately noticed Sonic's movement and, despite Sonic's super speed, managed to move to the edge of the dancing floor and rammed Sonic in his side.

Sonic fell onto the hard ground. Although he had the adrenaline to fight through the pain, Sonic didn't have quite enough energy to get off the ground and make another pursuit against Nack. He simply stayed there as he figured something else out. The rest of the group went to Sonic's aide as the audience tried their best to exit the building.

Espio watched as everybody ran out, but put his eyes back on Jet. Espio saw genuine fear in Jet's eyes, something that he didn't expect from the famous racer. Espio didn't know what to do since everything was happening so fast, but the fear in Jet's eyes gave Espio a spark of courage. He pushed Jet behind him, using himself as a shield.

"Try to get yourself out of here, Jet. I have a weasel to deal with."

Jet shook his head, even though he knew that Espio couldn't see the gesture. "No. I'm not just some coward who's going to run away. I'm going to stay and fight, too." Jet pushed to Espio's side. "Besides, you can't do it alone. Shinobi training or not, you're not strong enough."

Espio allowed himself to smile for a second. "Thanks." He finally reverted his attention to Nack, who was approaching Vector and Charmy, a large and loaded weapon in his hand. "You try distracting him," Espio said, figuring out a plan. "I'll try to get that gun away from him. Who knows what kind of damage it could cause."

Jet nodded and ran back to his table to get his Gear. He went up into the air with it and quickly flew in front of Vector and Charmy. "You won't lay a finger on them, Nack."

"Fine, then I guess I'll just dispose the three of you at once. Thanks for making it easy for me." Nack took his weapon and peaked through the eyepiece, aiming at the three of them with the intent to fire.

Before Nack could pull the trigger, Jet managed to get a hold on both of Vector and Charmy, even though Vector was somewhat heavy for Jet and flew them away from the area. A large green blast came from the open end of the weapon, missing Vector's foot by only inches. The blast made contact with the ground, leaving nothing but a large black burn mark in the floorboards.

Nack groaned loudly. "Are you kidding me? Get back here, hawk!"

Jet smiled, successfully diverting Nack's attention from everyone else. "Bring it on, weasel." Jet began flying through the air in an odd pattern, throwing off Nack's aim.

Nack kept moving his hands and body to mimic Jet's chaotic flying pattern, but couldn't manage to get a proper aim since the weapon was so heavy for him to control. This frustrated him and he just took a shot, hoping that he would get lucky. Jet was too fast though, and managed to steer clear of the large green blast. Nack continued to take a few more frustrated shots.

As he did this, Espio went invisible and snuck up behind Nack, who was too distracted to even pay attention to the chaos behind him. Espio reached into his boot and took out a hidden shuriken. He didn't have any intention of hurting Nack, but he wanted to do something in order to disarm him.

He took a few steps forward until he was right behind Nack. He analyzed Nack's back and looked for weak spots that would cause Nack to drop the weapon. Once he got an idea of what he was going to do, he brought his hand forward and used the shuriken to prick Nack at a spot towards the top of the spinal cord.

Espio noticed that his plan worked, because he felt a slight shiver go throughout Nack's body. The gun clacked as it hit the ground, and Nack clutched his hand, not even wondering why his back suddenly got pricked.

This gave Espio the chance to toss Nack to the ground. As soon as Nack made contact with the hardwood floors, Espio pinned him there and instantly became visible again. Nack retreated in fear. "You must not be too bright."

"What?" Nack asked, feeling insulted that Espio would actually say that.

"You come in here by yourself with only a single Metal Sonic and you expected to defeat three teams with histories of agility and strength. I state again; you must not be too bright."

Nack chuckled, trying to hide the nervousness in his body. "I've never been too bright, but listen to yourself. Three teams with histories of agility and strength. Look at Team Chaotix, Espio. Do you see a team with agility and strength, or a team with an arrogant crocodile, a young ignorant bee… and a strong, intelligent chameleon?"

Espio rolled his eyes. "Pathetic."

"Oh, I was thinking the same about you." Nack said, trying to fire Espio up. "You pathetic little soul, leaving your people for a bunch of nobodies."

Espio resisted the urge to slap Nack across the face and managed to keep his composure. "Call of Metal Sonic?"

Nack laughed. "Why would I do that?"

Espio pressed harder into Nack's chest, giving him a menacing look. "You've seen what I could do, Nack. I don't have it in me to end your life, you already know that. I don't even want to cause severe harm." Espio kept his eye on Nack as he raised his shuriken along with 2 others. "But you've seen what I could do." Espio referred to Nack's back. "I could paralyze you."

Nack backed off a little, slightly timid from Espio's ferocity. "That's a little cruel, Espio."

"Then, call off Metal Sonic… for both of our sakes."

Nack hesitated, but then smiled. "I don't believe you. You're still bluffing."

Espio quickly took Nack's body and flipped him so that his back was facing Espio. "Where should I start?"

Nack's breathing quickened and his heart beat became faster and louder. "Alright, alright! Get off of me! You win!" Nack turned his head to Metal Sonic, who was dealing with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. Despite Nack's pain of doing this, he finally called out, "Metal Sonic! The attack is over! Let's get out of here."

Espio turned to see if Metal Sonic was obeying. Thankfully, he stopped fighting Team Sonic and flew over and floated over Nack's body. Espio looked up and noticed that there was a cold look on Metal Sonic's face, even if he was just a robot.

"I am your master, Nack. You do not give me orders!"

"It'll be in your best interest," Nack lied.

"I doubt that. Join me and return to the fight or perish."

Nack squirmed, but couldn't manage to get out of Espio's strong grasp. "I can't break free."

"Allow me to get rid of the chameleon."

Espio's eyes opened wide as the next moments happened quickly. Espio had quick reflexes, but Metal Sonic was programmed to be even quicker. Espio heard a whirring noise as he let go of Nack and before he could even move an inch, he felt a sharp pain go through his body as he was forcefully pushed away from Nack.

A mechanical arm had grabbed Espio and brought incredibly high in the air. Metal Sonic looked up to the dangling chameleon and said with his monotone, robotic voice, "This is what you deserve for standing in our way."

Espio continued to squirm. He looked down as best as he could and noticed that everyone was making a strong effort to stop Metal Sonic from what he was doing. They had no luck, though. Espio tried to break free, but it didn't take long for Metal Sonic to take full control of the arm.

Espio felt himself get rapidly raised to the ceiling, before being thrown to the ground from a great height with an immense amount of force. Espio didn't have to wait long until he felt his impact on the hardwood floors.

He stayed conscious long enough to see that everyone tried their best to come to Espio's aide. Espio noticed that Jet was making a big effort to make it to the front of the pack. He heard some words as they began to fade. "Espio… Espio, I don't know how you feel about me… But I h- -…"

Espio couldn't hear the last words. He was too far gone as blackness took over, and he feel unconscious.

Espio felt like he was lost for several hours. Nothing seemed to make sense to him. He wasn't used to passing out since he had such a strong body from being active for so many years.

After what seemed to be an eternity, things in his head began to clear up and he began to hear voices to his right. They were just slight whispers, but Espio could make out who was talking and what was being said.

"You have to admit what you two did was somewhat unusual," Espio heard Sonic say. "Especially if you claim that you two are just friends."

"Friends dance all the time. If you like a song, it's perfectly normal for a person to dance to it."

Sonic sighed. "Yeah right, Jet. You're the last person I would ever think to defend dancing." There was silence in the room for a few moments. "Look, I'm not trying to bash on you for anything, but I'm just a bit curious about what you two were talking before Nack and Metal Sonic attacked us. Sometimes it's better to talk about it."

"Not this time, Sonic. Besides, you wouldn't understand. At the restaurant, Espio and I… had a connection."

"A connection?"

"Yeah. I don't know how to say that, so I guess I won't."

"Come on, Jet," Sonic said louder than what was necessary. "If it's embarrassing or whatever, you can tell me. I don't make fun of people or tell people secrets."

Jet groaned softly. "Keep your voice down. Be respectful."

Sonic sighed.

There was silence in the room once again. "Do you really want to know what we talked about?"

"Yes," Sonic said with no hesitation.

"Fine. I was feeling a little weird for dancing and Espio figured it out. He told me that dancing was a way to express creativity, peace, and love in order to diffuse how awkward the situation was."

"So? That's not a big deal."

Jet sighed. "I told you. You don't understand."

"Then make me understand. You can't just bring me in halfway and then just stop talking about it because I don't understand."

Without hesitation, Jet finally said, "He told me that he wasn't dancing with me to express creativity and peace. I asked him if he liked me, and his face was so flustered that he couldn't answer. That's when Nack attacked us."

There was a pause. "Wow… what are you going to do about it? I mean… do you like him about it?"

"No!" Jet said quickly. Espio flinched, hoping that no one noticed he was awake. "I mean… I don't know. He doesn't even race, and I've already found a connection with him through our cultures."

"But all you talk about is racing."

"Yeah… with you! Espio managed to learn more about me and my past in a single day than most people learn in a lifetime. Even you."

"So… what are you saying? Do you like him back?"

Jet sighed. "Is that a bad thing?" Espio resisted the urge to release a gasp.

"Are you crazy? No."

"Maybe to you. But what about everybody else?"

"Forget them, Jet. You've shown that you could ignore everyone else when you don't want to hear what they have to say. What makes this different?"

"I don't know. This seems so… personal."

"Jet, why won't you allow yourself to be happy?" Sonic asked with an aggravated tone. "Be the Jet that I remember and actually make an effort to get the things that you want."

Jet sighed. "I didn't expect to actually say this, but you're right. I'll talk to Espio once he's better. Who knows… maybe I misinterpreted what he said and I don't have to worry about him liking him."

"Don't make assumptions until something happens."

"Fine."

Espio laid in bed for another twenty in order to let the previous cool down. He then slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head. He turned to his right and noticed that Jet was leaning against the wall; Sonic had left to eat lunch. Espio took in his surroundings and noticed that he was in one of Placida Town's hospitals. Although the town seemed calm and somewhat primitive, the equipment that was being used seemed to be fairly up-to-date. Espio finally moved his gaze back to Jet, who finally looked back up at him.

"Espio!" Jet said somewhat loudly. He stood up and sat next to Espio's bedside, an excited looked drawn on his face.

"How long have I been out?" Espio asked with a weakened voice.

"Only for a day. You took a pretty big beating from Metal Sonic before we took care of him."

"Oh, yeah! The battle," Espio said with a surprised expression. "Is everyone alright?"

Jet nodded with a smile. "Yes, everyone made it out okay. After Metal Sonic threw you to the ground, Nack scurried away and we took Metal Sonic on. It lasted for a good ten minutes until Metal Sonic couldn't take it anymore. He ended up leaving, too."

Espio smiled. He looked around Jet's body and noticed a clean scar on Jet's arm. "What happened there?"

"It's nothing. Metal Sonic managed to get a shot at me. The doctors said it'll heal." Jet just noticed that his hand was covering Espio's. He took it back with a blush on his face. "Uh… heh heh… can you sit up?"

Espio nodded and sat up, despite the pain that surged through his back. He looked to Jet and smiled.

"Okay, good. I guess you're too strong for someone like Metal Sonic to bring you down." Espio blushed a little. "Espio… can I talk to you about something important?"

Espio nodded, hoping that what he heard before wasn't just a dream. He looked to Jet expectantly and said, "What is it, Jet?"

"Do you remember the dance?" Jet asked rhetorically. "You said that it expressed creativity, peace, and love. Then… I asked if you liked me… I was just wondering if you had an answer for me."

Espio hesitated. His ability to be honest had rubbed off on Jet, and now Espio is feeling a similar awkward effect. After a few moments of dead silence, Espio nodded. "Yes, Jet. Despite my prior thoughts of you and your prior thoughts of me, I've developed feelings for you." Espio gained a bit of courage and looked Jet in the eyes. "But… it doesn't have to mean anything. Feelings don't always have to mean anything." Espio was lying; he was yearning for Jet's affection on the inside. He hoped that Jet was telling Sonic the truth earlier.

Jet nodded. He didn't show it in his face, but Jet was more than relieved that Espio had actually said yes. "Well, Espio… I don't think you need to worry about that. I think that I… have similar feelings for you."

"W-what?" Espio asked with a quivering voice.

"I like… I l-like… oh how do you do these things?"

Espio smirked. "I don't know, myself… but I think I have an idea." Espio leaned forward and kissed Jet on the lips.

They sustained such a warm kiss for several moments. Once they broke the kiss to get some air, it didn't take long for them to begin a new kiss. It was an enchanting moment for both of them. It gave Sonic a chance to slowly open the door and peak inside at the kissing couple. Espio nor Jet noticed it, but Sonic was smiling, happy that he managed to help bring a couple together with just a short conversation with Jet. He closed the door, leaving the couple be.

Shortly after, Jet and Espio finally finished showing their affection and separated their kiss.

Jet looked in Espio's eyes and blushed heavily. He rubbed his own back feathers as he tried to hold back a heavy smile. He couldn't. "So…what does this mean about the two of us?"

"Well…" Espio started, reciprocating Jet's smile. "I don't need to be a broad part of this society to think that we should be… in a relationship."

Jet chuckled with delight. "I think I'd like that."


	5. Ending

Calm Vacation

Ending

Eventually, Jet and Espio finished sharing their feelings with each other. They simply smiled at each other for a few moments until the doctor entered the room and noticed that Espio was finally up.

"Ah, Espio. It is good to see you up." The doctor, a younger male owl named Blathers, took a clipboard off of a nearby counter and sat down in a chair next to Espio's bed. "There was a slight bone fracture in two places on your arms, but we managed to repair them with ease. You won't be able to lift things for a few weeks, but other than that, you managed to avoid some severe damage from the impact. It's up to you if you would like to stay in the hospital for another night or leave now."

Espio shook his head. "I believe I can manage without another night in the hospital. Thank you, doctor."

Doctor Blathers smiled. "You're very welcome, Espio. I'll gather your paperwork and I'll get you signed out in a few minutes." Doctor Blathers stepped out of the room and came back in after a few moments with another clipboard. He handed Espio the clipboard and a pen. He pointed to a few spots and said, "Just sign your name in these areas and you're free to go."

Espio took the pen and very neatly signed "Espio" on the designated spots before returning the clipboard.

Doctor Blathers smiled and nodded his head. "Very good. Have a good day, Espio."

Jet turned to Espio and smiled. "You heal really quickly, you know. I thought that you would've been a lot more hurt when Metal Sonic threw you on the ground."

Espio kissed Jet on the cheek. "Don't worry about it. That's all over and I don't think Nack and Metal Sonic are going to be bothering us anytime soon."

"Yeah, that's good. So… what should we do now?"

Espio thought for a moment. "Well, let's get out of this hospital and let everyone else know that I'm okay. Then… maybe we can tell them that we're a couple now."

"What?!" Jet exclaimed. "Espio, do we really have to jump into this right away."

Espio nodded. "Yeah, why not? What would be the problem?"

"Well… what if Wave and Storm don't accept it and don't want me to be a part of the team anymore?"

Espio rolled his eyes. "They're going to find out about it, eventually. Besides, you are the fastest racer alive. They would be ignorant for taking you off of their team for your romantic preferences."

Jet sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But how are we going to do this?"

Espio let out a light chuckle. "You make it sound as if it has to be complicated when it really doesn't have to be. We just step out of there and tell them that we are a couple, okay?"

Jet sighed again, but then smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But you'll say it, alright?"

Espio nodded. "Fine, coward," Espio said comically. The two of them exited the hospital room and made their way past the lobby until they were outside. They were then in front of all of their friends. Espio was about to say that he was perfectly okay and that he wouldn't need much time to recover, but Wave interrupted him.

"You two are a couple?!" Wave exclaimed.

Espio and Jet looked at Wave with a shocked expression. They then heard Sonic chuckling, so they brought their attention on him.

"I'm sorry guys, but I saw you two kissing in the room," Sonic said after calming down. "I wanted to keep it a secret, but that's something you can't keep bottled-up in front of your closest friends."

Jet huffed. "Sonic, you said you were good with keeping secrets. You didn't even wait ten minutes for this one to slide."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Hey, you would have to be in my shoes for you to understand what I was thinking when I saw that you two were together. Sometimes, you get a little over-excited."

Espio chuckled at the remark, something he found himself doing a bit more often. "Don't worry, Sonic. We were just about to tell you, anyways."

"So, I go back to my original question," Wave interjected. "You're a couple now? You've only known each other for a day and you suddenly get together?"

"Why does that matter so much to you?" Jet asked.

"It doesn't… It's just a lot to process. All in one day, we had a race, a party, and a battle against Metal Sonic and some weasel that no one cares about. Now you two just suddenly come out as a couple."

Espio nodded. "I understand. It is a lot to process at the moment, so if you all feel uncomfortable with it right now, we'll trying to keep the kissing down to a minimum."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to Wave, guys. You should be able to do whatever you want without feeling discriminated against. I mean, we all don't mind, right guys?"

One-by-one, everyone answered 'no' to Sonic's question, including Wave.

Jet smiled. "Thanks, guys. That means a lot to us. That means you are now all invited to our wedding."

Espio looked up to Jet with a somewhat shocked expression. "You're already thinking about a wedding."

Jet retreated awkwardly. "Uh… never mind. Forget about the wedding."

Espio frowned. "So, wait… you don't want to have a wedding at all, then?"

Jet freaked out a bit. "Uh… I do… don't… I do…" Jet looked towards the rest of the group, then back to Espio. "Why don't we just drop this and let the relationship take its course?"

Espio chuckled. "That sounds good to me."

Jet smiled. "Good." He then leaned in for a kiss with Espio, despite the fact that all of their friends were watching them, including Charmy who was making gagging noises at the gross sight of affection.

**Sub-Epilogue**

Jet and Espio started with a slow relationship soon after they left Placida Town. Though, it soon became a daily thing for Jet to fly to the Chaotix's home so that he could go on dates with Espio.

Though, like in many relationships, issues began to arise. Jet wasn't doing as much racing and didn't want to do many competitions since he was spending a lot of his time with Espio. At one point, Wave and Storm had considered kicking Jet off of the team in order to find a newer, more dedicated partner. Espio didn't want his boyfriend to stray too far away from his passion, so he convinced Jet to continue racing, even if it caused them to see each other less. Though, Espio went to every practice and race, so much didn't change.

A similar issue occurred with Espio since he wasn't constantly distracted from Team Chaotix's detective work. As a result, Jet decided to go with Espio and Team Chaotix on some of their missions in order to assist them.

As an honorary sub-member of Team Chaotix, Jet was allowed to live in the Chaotix home. Jet was reluctant at first, but he knew that his love for Espio was unbreakable and wanted to be close to him. The day that he moved in, Jet proposed to Espio. Espio didn't even hesitate when he said "yes".

**Epilogue**

A full year later, Espio and Jet were at their wedding reception as a newly-wedded couple. They watched as all of their friends who attended the wedding ate food and had a good time on the dance floor.

"Oh, Espio," Espio heard. He turned to his left to find a young bunny named Cream. She was carrying a young child in her arms.

"What is it, Cream?"

Cream gently rubbed the child's head before saying, "We were dancing together when he started asking for his daddy."

Jet and Espio looked at each other before looking at Cream. Jet grinned and said, "So… those were his first words? Daddy?"

Cream nodded. "Yeah. I thought you would like to know."

Espio reciprocated Jet's smile. He grabbed the child from Cream and held him in his arms. He was a white echidna with hints of grey. His name was Amar and he was adopted by Jet and Espio a few months before the wedding.

Jet smiled as Amar was brought closer to him. "I never thought in a million years that I would ever be a dad, mainly because children used to scare me. But actually having a kid makes everything be so different for me."

Espio nodded. "The same for me. But I believe we can now start a new chapter in our lives."

Jet rolled his eyes. "Well, if it's going to be a new chapter, then I hope that nothing changes from the last one."

Espio kissed Jet on the beak. "I think I can make that happen."

END


End file.
